April 21, 2008
Business
With all the changes and chances and occasional improvements in telephones, one thing that hasn’t changed much is the busy signal. I don’t know how anybody came up with that pulsating buzz, but there’s not much possibility of mistaking its universally annoying and frustrating sound.
I suppose most phones, like mine, have redial buttons for calling the same number over and over when necessary. That, coupled with some good horse sense to know when a line’s busy, should be enough comfort even when you’re running out of patience. But apparently not so.
Now Ma Bell’s progeny have found still another way. For a price, of course. Just in case you’re either absolutely stupid or maybe from Mars (although ET knew better) and making your first Earth-side phone call, Ma’s schoolmarmish robot will interrupt the buzz-buzz to tell you in case you couldn’t recognize the sound, “This line is busy.”
After that admonishment, you’re told that for a charge of whatever, “we” will keep trying for 30 minutes, ring you back with a special ring when the line is available, and then automatically connect you.
Of course, I suppose there’s some solace in and no charge for calling a wrong number. On the other hand, that’s one that, come to think of it, is never busy.
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